Newbie needs some tips

[crazychickenldy]

We have 103 Chickens on the premises and are considering getting a goose. I hope someone out there will grace me with the benefit of their goose knowledge, as I have none.

1. What is the best breed that will co-habitate well with Chickens?

2. Are geese like any other animal in that if you handle them frequently as goslings, they will be tamer and less aggressive?

Any other tips and or advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance!

 

[Olive Hill]

Quote:
It's not necessarily breed specific. Most geese should be fine if brought up with the chickens. Certain individuals -- regardless of breed or upbringing -- won't mix.

Quote:
Nope. That's an erroneous assumption for other species as well, but especially with geese, specifically ganders. They can be handled but should not be coddled. The more familiar they are with being in your personal space the more likely they are to attack.

 

[crazychickenldy]

Thanks for the information Olive! Wow. Had no idea about aggressive ness stemming from being handled TOO much. Any idea why that is? Is it a territorial thing? Thanks again for the helpful info. If you have any other tips on raising a good goose, please share. Thanks! ~Anna

 

[rainplace]

I see you used the singular "goose," please consider pluralizing that.

 

[Olive Hill]

It is, just as I said, due to familiarity. A gander that sees you as part of his gaggle sees you as someone who can be challenged.

And I would agree with RainPlace. Geese is better than "a goose". They're very social creatures.

 

[crazychickenldy]

Thanks Rainplace, we don't have any geese yet, we want to do our homework before making final decision. However, I do not want to get geese with out being knowledgeable about breeds, and how to have a happy gaggle. Olive, as far as breeds I am thinking Buffs, or Toulouse. Any thoughts or tips on these breed specifically? Or maybe you could suggest a better breed to be docile?

Thanks again to both of you
Anna

 

[Olive Hill]

I have buffs and would highly recommend them as a good backyard, utility type goose. They're very hardy, vigorous, excellent foragers, have docile temperaments, great feed to meat conversion, easily handled. The only thing I would say that is widely circulated about the American but not necessarily true is that they are quiet. They may be quieter than some other breeds, but mine are not what could at all be interpreted as quiet. They get to chattering several times a day and night and can be quite loud about it. I don't think you'll find any goose that is absolutely, positively quiet though so I don't count that against them. I also have a medium to large flock depending on the time of year -- we're down to 10 right now after the Christmas season, but won't go any lower than that so the noise level here is cumulative, which I'm sure makes a difference. When 10 of them get to honking all at once, they're like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, everyone has to get their say in and they try to "yell" it over the others.

Productivity and size-wise the toulouse is going to be quite similar to the American Buffs, the Buffs are thought to be slightly more prolific layers but some also say they tend towards being slightly less fertile so it equals out in the end. The toulouse are known to be slightly less docile than the Americans but among individuals the difference can be negligible at best. Between those breeds I would say your choice will ultimately come down to looks. If you prefer one to the other I would not let any of the breed traits scare you off. The two are close enough in comparison that any difference shouldn't be all that great.

This is a gaggle of Americans of Mixed Ages to give you an idea. The ones who look like they do not belong are American Blues and the one out front is an American Lavender. As you can see in the background they happily coexist with turkeys and chickens -- and though you cannot see any ducks in the background they too are part of our mixed flock.

 

[crazychickenldy]

Very useful information Olive. Now do u sell the eggs? Is there a demand for goose eggs? Or do you sell the new geese for meat? If we get 3 geese and 3 ganders, I am thinking we would be over run in a very short period of time....lol. I love ur pic. I think they are so graceful looking. I don't expect them to be quiet. I am fully aware there will be some noise involved. Lol

 

[Olive Hill]

I would think the demand for goose eggs would depend on your area. I'm not aware of any here, though it could exist and I am just not tapped into it. We sell them for meat, mostly at Christmas time.

If you didn't want yours to reproduce you would just need to take their eggs away in the spring when they're laying. The eggs can be eaten, though they're large, or can be used for crafts.